I-Team: Reform for NOPD details doesn’t apply to other officers in parish

Harbor Police don't follow same policies; chief notes ‘gray areas’

I-Team: Reform for NOPD details doesn’t apply to other officers in parish

Harbor Police don't follow same policies; chief notes ‘gray areas’

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Updated: 10:58 PM CDT May 20, 2014

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WEBVTT MONEY IN NEW ORLEANS. THEHEAVILY SCRUTINIZEDWORK WAS CALLED THE "AORTA OFCORRUPTION" BY FEDERALINVESTIGATORS.THAT PROMPTED THE NOPD TO REFORMITS POLICIES - MUCHTO THE DISMAY OF MANY OF THEFORCE. BUT THE WDSU I-TEAM HASLEARNED THAT WHILE NEW ORLEANSPOLICE OFFICERS CLAIMTO BE LOSING OUT, OTHER OFFICERSWORKING IN THECITY ARE CASHING IN. AND ASWDSU INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERTRAVERS MACKEL EXPLAINS - AFTERWE STARTED ASKINGQUESTIONS, ONE POLICE DEPARTMENTBEGAN CHANGINGIT'S OWN POLICIES AFTER THEY MAYHAVE BEEN VIOLATED.THE HARBOR POLICE DEPARTMENT ISSTATE AGENCY -IT'S ONLY LAW ENFORCEMENT GOAL... PROTECT THE PORT OF NEWORLEANS.HARBOR POLICE HAS JURISDICTIONIN THREE PARISHES ... ALLALONG THE RIVER FROM ST. BERNARDTHROUGHORLEANS AND INTO JEFFERSONPARISH. THESE OFFICERS AREALLOWED TO WORK DETAILS - ANDTHEY DO - INCLUDING THEHARBOR POLICE CHIEF, WHO MAY BEVIOLATING STATE LAWS BYDOING SO.HOLLYWOOD SOUTH IS BOOMING.MOVIE SETS HAVEHOLLYWOOD SOUTH IS BOOMING.MOVIE SETS HAVE SPRUNG UP AROUNDTHE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS... THELIGHTS, CAMERAS AND ACTION AREPLENTIFUL. AND WHEN STREETSARE CLOSED, BUILDINGS NEED TO BESECURED AND SITES MUSTBE GUARDED - FILMMAKERS LOOK FORPOLICE PROTECTION.THAT WORK IS MOST OFTEN DONE BYOFF-DUTY OFFICERS ... ANDTHE WDSU I-TEAM HAS LEARNED THATPOLICE MEN AND WOMENWORKING FOR THE HARBOR POLICEDEPARTMENT PROVIDE SOME OF THATSECURITY. DOCUMENTS OBTAINEDTHROUGH PUBLICRECORDS REQUESTS INCLUDEHANDWRITTENNOTES - THAT SHOW OFFICERS HEREFREQUENTLY WORKED MOVIE DETAILS... OFF THE PORT SITE. THOSEDETAILS WERECOORDINATED BY FORMER NOPDDEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT MARLONDEFILLO, WHO NOW RUNS A BUSINESS- CONNECTING COPSWITH AREA PRODUCTIONS. marlondefillo is a friend of mine andhe was in a bindand I didn't think it was aproblem to let officers dostanding positions.BUT IT IS. THE HARBOR POLICEPAID DETAIL RULES ANDREGULATIONS HANDBOOK STATES:"Officers shall only workdetails that are within thejurisdiction of the board." ITGOESON TO SAY "Since all of the paiddetails are within thejurisdiction ofthe Port, the visibilityenhances the safety of thearea." HECKERSAYS HE OVERSEES DETAILS THATARE ASSIGNED WITHHARBOR POLICE JURISDICTION INSOME INSTANCES, HE SAYS HEALLOWS OFF SITES WORK AS WELL.BUT AFTER WE STARTED ASKINGQUESTIONS AND SENDING REQUESTSFOR INFORMATION ABOUT HARBORPOLICE DETAILS BACK IN MARCH -HECKER STOPPEDLETTING OFFICERS WORK OFF SITEPRODUCTIONS. HE SAYS THEDECISION WAS UNRELATED TO OURINQUIRIES, THOUGH THECHANGE HAPPENED LESS THAN AMONTH AFTER OUR FIRSTEMAIL WENT OUT. for thattemporary period of time I didallow our officersto work these stationarypositions at those movie sites,but since then - we have broughtthem back in.ANOTHER CHANGE WAS IMPLEMENTEDIN APRIL. CHIEFHECKER - HIMSELF -- STOPPEDWORKING PAID DETAILS.RECORDS SHOW THE CHIEF, WHOSESALARY IS JUST OVER $100,000,NOT ONLY WORKED, BUT COORDINATEDBIG MONEY DETAILSAT MARDI GRAS WORLD AND AT THECONVENTION CENTER. BOTH OfTHOSE LOCATIONS "ARE" ON PORTPROPERTY. HECKER MADE ANADDITIONAL $13,000 FOR THEOFF-DUTY WORK, ACCORDING TODEPARTMENT FILES. LUCRATIVE WORKHE ASSIGNED TOHIMSELF. do you think youviolated any state ethics laws?No, Idon't think so. BUT HE'S NOTSURE. THAT'S WHY LAST MONTH -ONCE AGAIN,AFTER WE STARTED OUR INQUIRY -HECKER ASKED THE STATEETHICS BOARD TO WEIGH IN. ITWON'T BE THE FIRST TIME THEY'VETAKEN ON THE EXTRACURRICULARWORK OF ACHIEF. PREVIOUS ETHICS BOARDOPINIONS - DATING TO THE 1990'S-HAVE FROWNED ON SUCH ACTIVITY.WE FOUND THE MOSTRECENT ONE - LESS THAN TWO YEARSOLD - ADVISING THECHIEF OF POLICE IN CARENCRO"NOT" TO TAKE ON DETAILS. QUOTE:THE CODE OF GOVERNMENTAL ETHICSWOULD PROHIBIT A CHIEFOF POLICE FOR A MUNICIPALITYFROM WORKING PRIVATE SECURITYDETAILS WITHIN HISJURISDICTION." BUT HECKER ISRIGHT TO NOTE - HIS SITUATION ISDIFFERENT FROM "MOST" CHIEFS. HEISN'T ELECTED, HE'S APPOINTED.AND IT ISN'T CLEAR WHETHERTHE SAME RULES WILL APPLY TOHIM. PORT LAWYERS BELIEVETHEY MAY. there is nothingabout appointed chiefs, butmaybethey left that word out so to beon the safe said i'm gonna waitand get that opinion from them.WHAT WE UNCOVERED AT THE PORTCOMES AS CITY HALL INNEW ORLEANS OPENS THE OFFICE OFPOLICE SECONDARYEMPLOYMENT - A GOVERNMENT OFFICESET UP TO RUN PAID OFFDUTY DETAILS FOR NOPD OFFICERS.HARBOR POLICE OFFICERS DO NOTANSWER TO THAT AGENCY. MANYNOPD OFFICERS ARE UNHAPPYWITH OPSE AS DETAILS ARE NOWFIRST COME, FIRST SERVE AND NOCOP CAN COORDINATE THE WORK.Nats - Burkart THE FRATERNALORDER OF POLICE HAS BEEN ANOUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF THE OFFICESINCE IT'SINCEPTION. what takes moneyout of out officers pockets isopse.FOR NOW, AT LEAST, HARBOR POLICEDON'T HAVE TO FOLLOWTHE SAME STRINGENT - FEDERALLYMANDATED -GUIDELINES EVEN THOUGH THEYOPERATE IN THE SAME PARISH.AND RECORDS SHOW SOME HPD COPSARE BRINGING IN TENSOF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEARWORKING DETAILS - MAINLY THECRUISE SHIP TERMINAL AND EVENTSAT MARDI GRAS WORLD ANDTHE CONVENTION CENTER. LASTYEAR ALONE MORE THAN $880,000WAS PAID OUT TO HPD COPS FOROFF-DUTY DETAIL WORK. LT.ANTOINE FERBOS BROUGHT HOME$33,000 ON TOP OF HIS $58,000SALARY - MEANING HE MADE ABOUT60-PERCENT OF HIS SALARYWORKING EXTRA. SGT. DEDRATREVIGNE ALSO MADE MORE THAN$30,000 WORKING OFF DUTY DETAILS- HER SALARY IS $53,000 AND SGT.GLENN SMITH - WHO'S ON-DUTY WORKPAYS HIM $47,000 - MADEALMOST $30,000 WORKING OFF DUTYPAID DETAILS. MOST OFTHAT WORK IS DONE HANDLINGSECURITY FOR INBOUND ANDOUTBOUND CRUISE SHIPS. we aregrateful they are willing tocome here on theirday off and earn that salary.BUT A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NUMBERSSHOWS AS MANY AT 23HPD OFFICERS ROUTINELY WORK"CRUISE SHIP" DETAILS - BYCOMPARISON, HECKER SAYS USUALLY5 OFFICERS ARE ONACTIVE DUTY WHEN THE SHIPSARRIVE AND DEPART. SO WEASKED - WHY NOT SCHEDULE MORE ONDUTY COPS WHEN THE SHIPSDOCK AND PUSH OFF? we havelooked at the deployment withportmanagement with cruise ships andall have agreed this is the bestpossible deployment.ALL DETAIL MONEY IS PAID TOHARBOR POLICE BY PRIVATEENTITIES LIKE CENTRAL PARKINGAND THE CRUISE SHIP COMPANIES.FERBOS, TREVIGNE AND SMITH ALL"COORDINATE" SOME OF THEDETAILS - A POLICY THAT ISFORBIDDEN FOR NOPD OFFICERSUNDER OPSE RULES - DESPITE THEHARBOR POLICEOPERATING INSIDE CITY LIMITS.it in incredible unfair andbiased to treat our officersdifferently than anyone else.BUT HECKER SAYS DESPITE THERECENT RULE CHANGES HE'SIMPLEMENTING FOR HIMSELF AND HISDEPARTMENT - NOTHING WILLCHANGE. instead of this stigmathat's out there about polciedetails- in my opinion we ought toembrace details.RECORDS SHOW OVER THE LAST THREEYEARS HARBOR POLICEHAVE MADE 288 ARRESTS. 53 IN2011, 133 IN 2012 AND 102 LASTYEAR - THAT'S ABOUT WHAT THENOPD MAKES IN ABOUT TWOWEEKS.STILL AHEAD AT 10 .. LOOKINGAHEAD. NEW ORLEANS CAME UP

I-Team: Reform for NOPD details doesn’t apply to other officers in parish